


Uncle Rodney

by merlins_sister



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Baby!Fic, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-13
Updated: 2011-10-13
Packaged: 2017-10-24 14:15:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/264419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merlins_sister/pseuds/merlins_sister
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney greets the newest member of the Atlantis expedition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Uncle Rodney

Rodney shifted the bags in his hands before pressing the door chime. This was such a Sheppard thing to do, arrive two weeks before everyone was ready. He hadn’t planned to be back on Earth when it all happened. He’d wanted to be on Atlantis, in case he was needed. He wasn’t sure how, but he was a genius, and there could have been a situation that meant he would have been vital to the safety of everyone.

He couldn’t have lived with himself if something had happened and he hadn’t been here to help.

The door slid open. “Hey, you’re back,” John said, his face breaking into a smile, stepping back to let him into the quarters.

“About an hour ago,” Rodney replied. “I hear I’ve missed all the excitement.” He gestured to the bundle in John’s arms. John’s smile spread.

“Yeah, caught us all a bit on the hop,” John replied, glancing down at the bundle which squirmed slightly. “But as I’ve been told several times, babies aren’t meant to work on a timetable.”

“I wanted to be here,” Rodney continued. “You know, in case I was needed. I wouldn’t have left if I thought he was going to arrive early.”

“You didn’t ask to be summoned in front of the IOA,” John reassured him. “Don’t worry about it.”

Rodney stepped closer to take in the newest arrival in Atlantis. He felt he ought to coo, or say something meaningful about the resemblance to his parents.

“I see he’s got your hair,” he said after a few moments.

“Yes, and Kate’s nose,” John replied, a note of amusement and frustration at yet another joke at his hair’s expense in his tone.

“Where is Kate?” Rodney asked looking around him.

“Having a nap,” John said. “Do you want to hold him?”

Rodney held the bags tighter to him. He really wasn’t keen on the whole holding baby thing, but thought this was probably one of those important moments between friends; reject my baby, reject me.

“Um... I would love to, but you know what a klutz I am... “

“Have you ever dropped a ZPM, or a bomb?” John asked.

“Well, no, but...”

John smiled in understanding, or possibly mischievous intent at his friend’s discomfort. “Why don’t you try it sitting down?”

“Oh, okay,” Rodney replied, moving to the couch, and putting his bags on the table. Once settled John sat next to him and handed the bundle into his arms. Rodney felt a slight panic rise in him as he tried to get a good grasp.

“Support the head,” John informed calmly.

“Oh right,” Rodney replied moving again. The bundle squirmed slightly and Rodney braced himself for a cry of displeasure. A smile of relief spread over his face. “I thought I’d woken him up then.”

John smiled. “Fortunately that’s another thing he seems to have inherited from his Mom; the ability to sleep at the drop of a hat, and not wake for anything.”

“Sounds a good thing to have in a baby,” Rodney commented.

“You can say that again,” John replied. He rubbed his eyes, and Rodney noticed the tiredness there. But it was strange. He was used to seeing John tired, but this was different. He was obviously exhausted, but there was an air of contentment as well.

Rodney looked down at the baby in his arms. John and Kate had barely become an official couple before Kate had found out she was pregnant. Close friends knew something had been happening for a while, but the whole holding hands, togetherness had been only obvious for a little time before the discovery. But maybe that sense of contentment had been starting then; they had certainly seemed to have taken the news in their stride.

“I didn’t realise new born babies were so small,” Rodney said after a while.

“I don’t think Kate would agree with you,” John grinned. “Several comments about bowling bowls and entrances were screamed at me during the birth.”

Rodney winced. “Bad?”

John shook his head. “I’m telling you, some of that language in there... Kate has spent far more time with Marines than she’s letting on.”

“I hear there are drugs that can help,” Rodney said.

“Yeah, but I decided to stay clear headed,” John replied.

Rodney rolled his eyes at him.

There was a slight shrug of the shoulders from John. “It’s what Kate wanted.”

Rodney watched as John leant forward and tenderly brushed the hair off his son’s forehead.

“It was all worth it,” John said softly. “I would taken it a hundred times over because what I did was nothing. Look what she did.”

Rodney glanced at his friend. The sense of awe was obvious in his voice, and Rodney imagined what it would be like to watch the woman you love going through all of pregnancy and labour to produce a baby. Rodney decided he would be pretty much in awe as well.

“Have you decided on a name?” he asked, remembering the grin on Elizabeth’s face when he’d asked her.

“Eventually,” John replied, a wry grin on his face. “He was baby Sheppard/Heightmeyer for two days, which Carson was starting to refuse to type in notes anymore.”

Rodney looked at him expectantly.

“David James Sheppard. David and James were Kate’s grandfathers’ names,” John explained.

“And the decision was reached how?”

“Because I got the surname,” John replied.

Rodney knew he was still looking slightly puzzled.

“Apparently two forenames equals one surname,” John explained.

“Ah. I didn’t realise it was such a... mathematical issue.”

“Probably not, but it worked for us... eventually.”

Rodney glanced down at David who squirmed slightly in his arms.

“And he’s okay?” Rodney asked, realising that if he wasn’t this conversation would be taking place in the infirmary, but surprisingly finding he needed to check.

“He’s fine,” John said as he stroked David’s forehead again. “Seems to not have suffered anything for his insistence on arriving early.”

“Good.”

Any further questions were stopped by a gentle call of “John?” from the bedroom.

“In here,” John called out, getting up to greet Kate as she wandered in.

“Rodney, you’re back,” Kate said, her smile spreading.

“A little while ago,” Rodney said noticing the squirming in his arms was getting a little more vigorous. Kate moved slowly to the couch and took a seat next to Rodney.

A slight cry came from David.

“Do you want him?” Rodney asked of Kate.

She smiled, the same sense of mischief on her face as on John’s. “No, it’s fine.”

“He sounds like he senses Mom’s in the room,” Rodney said as David cried slightly again.

“He senses dinner’s in the room, you mean,” Kate replied before leaning forward and stroking David on the forehead as John had done. “Hush, Davie. You’re freaking your Uncle Rodney out.”

David seemed to take his mother’s advice to heart, and settled again.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Rodney apologised.

Kate waved the apology away. “You didn’t. New Mom’s jetlag at the moment... I wake at all sorts of hours, rarely know what time it is, or sometimes even where I am.”

“How are you, apart from the jetlag?”

“Good. Tired, sore, but, you know, good.” Rodney considered Kate. Yeah, the tiredness was definitely there, but like her partner, there was an air of contentment as well.

“I brought presents,” Rodney said, indicating with his head the bags on the table. “I’ve got something else I was working on, but as David will insist on being such a Sheppard and arriving early I need a few days to finish it up.”

“It is not a Sheppard thing to arrive early,” John insisted.

“Yes, it is,” said Kate and Rodney in unison.

John tried to look indignant, but instead broke into a chuckle.

“Come on,” Kate said, nudging John with her foot. “Make yourself useful and pass the presents.”

Rodney considered the act, as it seemed to show their relationship so well. Rodney had not been beyond commenting on John’s need to have a psychologist to have a successful relationship. Teasing apart there was no doubt that Kate was a good match for him, her dry humour and teasing of his friend such an obvious sign of how much she loved him and knew him. As for John, he obviously adored his partner, unable to hide those feelings behind his usual poker face. This made sense as it had all started, so it seemed, with late night poker games.

Kate took the bags from John, and glanced questioningly at Rodney.

“Oh, they’re colour coded,” Rodney explained. “Pink for you, blue for John, and green for David. Did it that way as I didn’t have a baby name to work with.”

Kate smiled at him, her own grin showing some sheepishness at the apparent delay in the decision. “Yeah, I thought we were going to have to call in Elizabeth to negotiate that one.”

She opened the green bag up first, taking out a small teddy.

“Oh, he’s lovely,” she said before leaning forward. “Hey, Davie, look what Uncle Rodney bought for you.”

David had opened his eyes and squinted unseeingly at the bear. She stroked his cheek with the bear’s paw.

“I bought as soft a one as I could find,” Rodney explained, pleased that at least the baby hadn’t screamed in horror at his gift.

“I’m sure he’ll love it,” Kate replied gently, putting the bear to the side of her.

“Come on, Mom, your turn,” John lifting up the pink bag for her.

Kate reached in and pulled out two bottles of toiletries. Rodney continued his explanations. “My sister recommended them. She said the shower gel was really good when you’re low on energy and perfectly safe when you’re... “His voice trailed off, and a sudden awkwardness rushed through him. “You know... in the early stages... “

“You can say ‘breastfeeding’ in front of us, Rodney,” John said, an obvious amusement on his face.

Kate decided to be kinder. “Thank you, Rodney. They’re perfect.” She handed the blue bag to John with the comment, “You’re turn, Dad.”

John reached in and pulled out the baseball cap.

“Best Dad in Atlantis,” John read out.

“Well, it’s accurate,” Rodney said. “There are no other Dads actually with children here at the moment.”

Kate chuckled before taking the cap and pushing it onto John’s head. “Suits you... and it is very accurate.” There was warmth in her words that Rodney knew was in there as subtle expression of love. Kate leant forward and pecked John on the lips.

As she sat back David’s squirming was matched with a louder cry, and a second one, and a third.

“Umm... Kate... “Rodney started, wondering if jiggling would be a good idea, because he had vague recollections of seeing people with babies do that.

To Rodney’s relief Kate moved forward and lifted David out of his arms, pulling him close to her, and yes... there was definitely jiggling. Rodney noted that for the future.

“Is he all right?” Rodney asked, as the cries continued.

“Probably just getting hungry,” Kate explained. She turned to John. “Why don’t you and Rodney go to the mess hall and get our dinner, whilst I feed this little one?”

“Sounds a good plan,” John said, getting up from the couch. Rodney followed suit and watched as Kate started to rock David to and fro.

“Can you see if they have any more oranges?” she asked as John turned from picking up his radio.

“More oranges?” he asked. “I thought the cravings were meant to stop after the pregnancy.”

Kate shrugged. “Still seeming to need the oranges.”

“Okay, more oranges it is,” John replied before leaning forward and kissing Kate gently. He lifted the teddy up and tucked it into the bundle with the baby. Rodney felt strangely pleased at that.

“See you in a little while,” Kate said, settling back with the now distinctly complaining baby.

Rodney waved his good bye before following John out of the door.

“He really is a very cute baby,” Rodney said as they started to amble to the mess hall.

John looked at him before replying, “It’s okay, Rodney. We’re not expecting you to be a regular on the babysitting rota.”

“But I want to help,” Rodney insisted. “It’s just... well, you know me and kids. I’m not certain that I’m going to be that good as Uncle Rodney.”

John looked at him again. “You’re kidding me. You’re going to be a great uncle. You’ve just never been there at the beginning. This time David will know you from the start, and won’t be having to get used to your quirky ways at a later age.”

“Thank you,” Rodney replied. “I think.”

“David’s really lucky to have all of his Atlantis family,” John continued. “You’re all so different to me; it’ll make up for the stuff I’m not good at.”

Rodney glanced at him in concern, and noted the first downward slope in his mouth that Rodney had seen since arriving.

“What’s wrong?”

John shook his head slightly, before glancing up and down the corridor. “It’s nothing,” he said. When he saw the saw the look of concern on Rodney’s face he took a deep breath and started again. “It’s just that when Kate was pregnant I asked Carson if there was anything I should be doing. He told me to just take care of her, so she could take care of the baby. And that’s what I tried to do. Now... now that David is here, it’s so much more.”

Rodney watched as his friend struggled to find the words.

“I am still so bad at dealing with emotional stuff,” he said. “I am lucky because Kate is usually two steps ahead of me. But I can’t expect David to be able to do that. I’ve got to teach him how to do things, how to deal with things.” He paused. “I just don’t want him to be left with the stuff my Dad left me with.”

Rodney considered his words. “You are going to be an amazing father.” He ploughed on against the flash of doubt on his friends face. “So, you’re not brilliant at talking about things. But you’re getting better. And David has Kate. And Carson. I’m sure he will learn from them. And in the meantime you can teach him the stuff you are good with... like loyalty, and seeing behind people’s outer shells, and never leaving people behind.”

“What if I have to leave him behind, what if I have to make sure the whole city is safe, and not just him?” John asked, his face a mask of anxiety.

“Then the rest of his family will explain, and take care of him. We’ll never leave him, you know that.”

The anxiety reduced on John’s face, but didn’t disappear.

“You will do fine,” Rodney insisted as he held John’s gaze. “He will be fine.”

They resumed walking down the corridor. “You’re not bad at pep talks, Rodney,” John said after a few moments, flashing a smile at his friend, and Rodney felt a rush of relief that his words had worked. Despite the fact he talked a lot usually, he wasn’t always sure he used words in the best way.  
.  
“I do, you know, what I can,” Rodney replied with a slight smile of his own.

They ambled on in silence for a little longer before John asked, “So, do I get to know what this surprise is that you’re working on?”

“No!” Rodney exclaimed. “It wouldn’t be a surprise then.”

“It would be to Kate and David,” John pointed out.

“I think you’ll find that most things are a surprise to your son at the moment,” Rodney replied with another slight roll of his eyes.

“True, but you could still tell me.”

“No, again,” Rodney said looking at John. “I would suggest you don’t teach David this.”

“What?”

“Your capacity to pester.”

“I don’t pester,” John replied. “I merely maintain interest.”

“Tomaytoes, tomartoes,” Rodney responded.

“Besides, I think most kids are capable of pestering without any training from their parents,” John said.

“True,” Rodney replied, and tried to ignore the slight smirk on his friend’s face. “And don’t think I’m going to be the weak link in resisting your son’s pestering.”

John’s smirk spread.

“I am not!” Rodney responded in indignation, before slumping slightly.

John patted him on the shoulder. “Just don’t give him sweets all in one go.”

“Well, maybe I’ll have come up with some defences by then,” Rodney replied, a deep sigh coming from him. He looked at John again. “It *is* good to have him here. The first true Atlantian baby born. Future pestering possibilities aside.”

John’s face lit up again. “Yeah. Quite a milestone.” He looked at Rodney. “I wonder who’ll be next...”

“Don’t look at me like that,” Rodney warned.

“Cadman’s due back next week... “

Rodney scowled at him. “Do NOT go there.”

“You would make such cute babies.”

“Are you sure you didn’t take some drugs during the labour?” Rodney growled as the grin on John’s face grew.

“Just saying.”

“Well don’t.”

John shrugged. “Okay.”

Rodney sighed. Two Sheppards. Two of them. Doing things like this to him.

Life was suddenly so much more potentially annoying. He glanced at his friend again and saw the smile.

Maybe that wasn’t so bad though. With this level of happiness for his friends. Not bad at all.


End file.
